On October 23rd, Boston University School of Medicine is sponsoring a comprehensive weight loss seminar which will include a presentation from Dr. Samaha.  The main objective of the seminar will be to provide a state-of-the-art review of the multidisciplinary management of obesity.  Information on diet, exercise and surgery will all be included with a major focus on diagnosis and risk assessment.

The topic Dr. Samaha will discuss is titled The Evolution of Body Contouring and it is scheduled to begin at 7:50 p.m.

Medical professionals, social workers and other interested persons are expected to attend.  After attending the seminar, participants will possess better understanding of a variety of topics including: risk status of obese patients, the impact of weight loss on the metabolism, surgical treatment of obesity, exercise, lifestyle importance and much more.

Registration is at 6 p.m. at the Marriott Hotel in Quincy, Massachusetts. For more information call 617-472-1000.

A Florida plastic surgeon recently described the status of modern breast cancer treatments and the efforts of the medical community to minimize its adverse effects through reconstruction and prevention.

Dr. Richard Bosshardt writes that society’s recognition of the breast is an ancient phenomenon since historically, many people have viewed them as symbolic of “femininity and desirability.” In light of this observation, it isn’t difficult to understand why the possibility of breast removal or disfigurement can be so frightening.

Many women know to focus on prevention and are aware of the breast cancer statistics, but aren’t informed about positive developments on the horizon. New information shared by Dr. Bosshardt in the Orlando Sentinel suggests that ‘genetic markers’ have become excellent risk indicators, narrowing the search for a definite cause. Breast implants, bras and high-fat diets have not been shown to increase the risk of cancer.

And finally, doctors have begun practicing “breast conservation” rather than outright breast removal. Reconstruction has become more sophisticated than ever and patients often look better as an end result.

Art Caplan is the Director for the center of Bioethics at the University of Pennsylvania. Last summer, Caplan delivered a lecture at the Chautauqua Institution about living longer and enhancing our bodies through the use of advanced medical technology.

Caplan argues against people he calls “new puritans” who present moral objections against the medical technology which enables us to live longer and look better. In reference to cosmetic enhancement, he remarks, “not everybody is reading these scientific advancements with joy.” One person in his audience had spoken of a family member having a face lift, and a younger woman responded with criticism saying, “that’s terrible. It’s unbelievable that you would do that, you should simply accept the changes [of aging] as they come – it’s basically unethical.”

That is the “puritanical” attitude Caplan rejects. Various arguments come from the right wing and the left, with objections to medical technology that are just not convincing, as he would argue.

His argument in favor of embryonic stem cell research is this: we’ve already doubled our lifespan since ancient times. There is no “natural order of things” when it comes to how long we should exist or how good we should look during that time. Stem cell technology need not come from new sources, but embryos that we already use for other purposes.

What we use to repair disease, we can also use to enhance ourselves. There might be whole body rejuvenation, including the mind, with the help of this technology. Skin, organs, hair and everything in between could be enhanced with regenerative cells. Similar things have successfully been done to small organisms. If we fund it now and conquer these frivolous (and perhaps not so frivolous) arguments now, real anti-aging can become a reality.

If you are interested in hearing more about Caplan’s take on anti-aging or you’ve pondered the moral implications of cosmetic surgical enhancement, you should listen to the lecture at Minnesota Public Radio.

A Florida resident recently made news headlines for her “misplaced heart” and unconventional medical use of breast implants.  Fox News reported that a woman named April Pinkard actually had breast implants to correct a rare heart condition.

When she was only four years old, Pinkard had a lung removed due to disease present at birth.  30 years later, Dr. Mohammed Choudhury discovered something very strange during a physical examination of Ms. Pinkard.  Her heartbeat was virtually absent.

She recalls that day, saying “he listened [for] my heartbeat one day and it just wasn’t there.” Closer medical exams led doctors to conclude that her heart had shifted or “floated” out of its proper position.  An operation was immediately necessary.

At the Jacksonville Mayo Clinic, surgeons found that the heart had moved considerably.  The immediate solution was to fill her chest cavity with water, then float the heart back into its natural position.  But something had to be done to prevent the condition from re-occurring. To fill the void left by her lung and immobilize the heart, doctors placed implants in her chest.  She told one reporter, “you can hear it move.  If I push on my chest you can feel the squishes.”

Ms. Pinkard still faces health related problems, most notably, the possibility of a lung transplant in the near future.  But she is a strong-willed lady and apparently has some talented, innovative medical professionals on her side.

Responding to international demand, a San Diego company by the name of Cytori Therapeutics Inc., has developed a device for combining human body fat with stem cells and other regenerative cells.

The theory behind introducing stem cells to the procedure predicts that the regenerative properties of the cells will help prevent the body’s rejection of transplanted tissue.  A stem cell-fortified fat product should promote the formation of new blood vessels, bonding the reintroduced tissue to its surroundings.  The results would be nothing short of a natural implant.

New York plastic surgeon Dr. Sydney Coleman was published in the medical journal Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery for his innovative breast augmentation technique, which employs a controversial fat grafting/transplant method.

Fat is taken from other areas of the body (just as it is commonly done during liposuction) and added to the breast.  The technique hasn’t caught on due to certain risks, such as death of, and calcification of the grafted fat and/or mammogram interference.

Surgeons in Europe and Japan have experimented with techniques and reported success. However, FDA approval of any stem cell product would be required for use in the United States and more research on the long term effects of fat grafting is necessary.

The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic surgery is recruiting patients for a study.  More information on the study is available at ClinicalTrials.gov